The automobile, or other personal vehicle such as pick-ups, vans etc., is held in very high esteem in today's society. Any notice taken of the commute hour traffic patterns of most urban areas, particularly in the South and West, will confirm the position that most people prefer to use an automobile to provide their transportation.
Beyond providing transportation, the appearance of one's car is a source of great pride for many people. Further, the appearance of a car is not only a source of personal pride, but is also a factor in determining the value of an automobile. Therefore it is logical for a person to want to protect the appearance of his car as much as possible. From a purely pecuniary aspect, it is very important to minimize the frequently exhorbitant amounts expended on minor cosmetic repairs.
No matter how careful a person is with his car, he will at some point have to leave it unattended in a parking lot. At this time, the car's side walls become subject to the auto body "ding". The ding is of the family of small yet ever so annoying dents, scratches, and nicks that may be found upon one's return to the car. The ding is the product of a team effort, requiring a parking lot owner who desires to maximize return by cramming as many vehicles as possible into a given area; and a careless driver or passenger who blithely opens his or her door without considering what obstacles may be in its path.
While dings do not affect the functional operation of the car, they do detract from the appearance, and hence the value. Therefore, many devices have been disclosed in the prior art to protect the body portions of automobiles.
The art is replete with devices to be permanently attached either to the side walls or to bumpers of automobiles. These devices, by necessity of appearance, can only cover a small area. While expected areas of damage can be protected, the car is vulnerable to the unusual. For example, side molding provides no protection if the opened door causing the contact is either higher or lower than the door of the parked car. This is especially a problem in areas frequented by those driving "jacked-up" autos or pick-ups. In addition, many cars do not even have side moldings. In many other instances, the moldings are minimal and of no real protective value
To combat this problem, larger devices have been disclosed, such as "Lockable Removable Decorative and Protective Panels for Vehicles," described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,584 issued to Bruce Lovett on Oct. 12, 1982. This device is essentially a replaceable panel that covers the side walls, hood, or trunk areas of the car. The problem is that the device is designed to be left on the car at all times, so it must necessarily affect the car's appearance and aerodynamics.
The prior art also discloses retractable and removable protectors. One retractable device is the "Retractable Vehicle Door Protector," disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,773 issued to Benjamin Settle on Nov. 17, 1970. While the protective portion of the device is retractable, it requires permanent fixtures to anchor it in position.
One device which is both simple and removable is the "Protective Cover," shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,684, issued to Dudley Richter on Oct. 5, 1971. The Richter device is a simple protective sheet designed to be removably hooked on a car door. This device is limited in that it covers a relatively small area, and further that it requires the presence of a C-shaped door handle, which is rare in modern automobiles.
In sum, all the devices in the prior art suffer some serious disadvantage. Either they do not completely protect the desired area, or they require permanent additions which alter the appearance and/or aerodynamics of a car.